Leave no man behind on the field of battle.
Alive or dead, all should be getting home to their loved ones.

Award well deserved.

KJ sends..

The President of the United States in the name of The Congress takes pleasure in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR to

CORPORAL DAKOTA L. MEYER
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS

For service as set forth in the following

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with Marine Embedded Training Team 2-8, Regional Corps Advisory Command 3-7, in Kunar Province, Afghanistan, on 8 September 2009. Corporal Meyer maintained security at a patrol rally point while other members of his team moved on foot with two platoons of Afghan National Army and Border Police into the village of Ganjgal for a pre-dawn meeting with village elders. Moving into the village, the patrol was ambushed by more than 50 enemy fighters firing rocket propelled grenades, mortars, and machine guns from houses and fortified positions on the slopes above. Hearing over the radio that four U.S. team members were cut off, Corporal Meyer seized the initiative. With a fellow Marine driving, Corporal Meyer took the exposed gunner’s position in a gun-truck as they drove down the steeply terraced terrain in a daring attempt to disrupt the enemy attack and locate the trapped U.S. team. Disregarding intense enemy fire now concentrated on their lone vehicle, Corporal Meyer killed a number of enemy fighters with the mounted machine guns and his rifle, some at near point blank range, as he and his driver made three solo trips into the ambush area. During the first two trips, he and his driver evacuated two dozen Afghan soldiers, many of whom were wounded. When one machine gun became inoperable, he directed a return to the rally point to switch to another gun-truck for a third trip into the ambush area where his accurate fire directly supported the remaining U.S. personnel and Afghan soldiers fighting their way out of the ambush. Despite a shrapnel wound to his arm, Corporal Meyer made two more trips into the ambush area in a third gun-truck accompanied by four other Afghan vehicles to recover more wounded Afghan soldiers and search for the missing U.S. team members. Still under heavy enemy fire, he dismounted the vehicle on the fifth trip and moved on foot to locate and recover the bodies of his team members. Corporal Meyer’s daring initiative and bold fighting spirit throughout the 6-hour battle significantly disrupted the enemy’s attack and inspired the members of the combined force to fight on. His unwavering courage and steadfast devotion to his U.S. and Afghan comrades in the face of almost certain death reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5AmTYnd4KA&feature=player_embedded"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5AmTYnd4KA&feature=player_embedded[/ame]

Way to go stud, has my respect.

I am so proud of Sgt. Meyer! What an awesome example of courage and love for his fellow Marine. Semper Fi !!!!!

[here's a follow up and I hope the Moderator doesn't give me another warning for it]

The unforgiven

By Greyhawk


Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer did not perform his heroics alone - he and Army Capt. William Swenson "worked in tandem under an avalanche of enemy fire" that day in Ganjgal. And yet...

Swenson has received nothing. The lack of recognition raises questions whether Swenson's angry criticism of Army officers, who repeatedly refused to send fire support that day, is the reason he has not been decorated.

It is "ridiculous" that Swenson hasn't yet been recognized for his heroism, Meyer said. Swenson also repeatedly braved fire in the battle, working with the Marines to engage enemy fighters and evacuate U.S. and Afghan casualties from a kill zone, the Medal of Honor nominee said.

"I'll put it this way," Meyer said. "If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be alive today."

Swenson, who left the Army in February, could not be reached for comment.

This follow-on story indicates Swenson (who attended the White House ceremony for Meyer) has now been nominated for the Medal of Honor, too.
Nominations for the nation's highest award for valor are not supposed to be made public before the ultimate decision has been made - but for whatever reason, someone somewhere views Swenson's case as a necessary exception to that rule. (And that's something else he has in common with Dakota Meyer.)

Meyer was interviewed on 60 Minutes.

He comes across as a very low keyed individual who downplays his bravery by stating he was just doing his job. You could almost call his demeanor as bashful. When asked whether he thought the failed operation was worth the effort and cost ... he was emphatic with his answer - NO.

He thought from the very beginning of his actions that he was going to die. If nothing else, going into danger even though he thought he was going to die, would nominate him for the Medal of Honor in my view. How he could act with that belief is beyond words ... matter of fact, there were a number of witnesses that were only able to begin to describe what they saw before they ran out of words ... beyond description was the final description.

And, by far the worst thing about this is HOW SOME STUPID FOBBIT sat on his fat butt and DID NOT send air cover when urgently asked for.
IMHO, both he and his supervisor should be courts-martialed for gross negligence and not merely some crappy general officer's reprimand.

Originally Posted by lvcabbie

And, by far the worst thing about this is HOW SOME STUPID FOBBIT sat on his fat butt and DID NOT send air cover when urgently asked for.
IMHO, both he and his supervisor should be courts-martialed for gross negligence and not merely some crappy general officer's reprimand.

While I agree with you in principal, what you have to be aware of .. is .. for a professional officer, it is the absolute end of their profession. It does NOT require a courts martial to punish an officer - the reprimand is immediate and final.

Having been a US Army personnel sergeant, I agree completely with you!
But, in this particular instance, I think it goes far beyond the two involved. There has to be something about guidance/policy from higher authority that made them hesitate to send out gunships or dust-offs.

Originally Posted by lvcabbie

Having been a US Army personnel sergeant, I agree completely with you!
But, in this particular instance, I think it goes far beyond the two involved. There has to be something about guidance/policy from higher authority that made them hesitate to send out gunships or dust-offs.

From everything that I have heard or read ... multiple requests for air coverage from those who were pinned down were denied. Based upon comments from Meyer, many of the deaths could have been averted had the first request been carried out. That was one of the reasons he stated the operation was a complete failure and not worth the effort and cost. The enemy still completely controls the area.

The fact that officers received reprimands, speaks volumes. Someone screwed the pooch royally ... reprimands are NOT handed out unless someone violated standing orders, violated the UCMJ ... OR .. showed bad judgment in a combat situation. I leave it to you to figure out which one you believe the case to be.

Bottom line: there are deaths that can be laid at the feet of the officers who received reprimands, who would still be alive had air coverage been provided when it was first requested.